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Legio Solaria
The Imperial Hunters are a Loyalist Titan Legion of the Collegia Titanica, one of the military arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. There is very little information in Imperial records about when this obscure Titan Legion was founded and from what Forge World it hails, though it is known to have been founded before the Horus Heresy. Legion History The Imperial Hunters are a proud Legion whose culture bear many resemblances with that of the many Knight Worlds of the Imperium of Mankind. The Legion's Princeps are often recruited from their homeworld's nobility and as a consequence, many of the costums of the Imperial aristocracy can readily be found within the Imperial Hunters. This attitute - some would call it arrogance - is bred into them since their induction within the Legion, including the aristocratic disdain for the "lower classes", even when said "lower classes" belong to other Legions of the Collegia Titanica. However, this attitude also favours the Legion's integration into other Imperial battlegroups and Crusades, as it manifests none of the typical detachment prone to Adeptus Mechanicus-related military formations. For instance, the Imperial Hunters' command structure does not include the position of Executor Fetial common to many Titan Legions, as each Princeps and Moderatus is well-versed in all manners of social etiquette. Few of their numbers choose to be emerged in an amniotic tank, and particularly the Princeps of the Imperial Hunters often use rejuvenating treatments to keep an impeccable appearance. During victory celebrations, members of the Imperial Hunters are often raucous and loud, indulging meal and drink with visible gusto. The Imperial Hunters are immensely proud of their history and do not take slights to their honour lightly, they are often obstinate to the point of pridefulness, but their combat abilities and courage cannot be denied. Notable Campaigns *'Battle of Paramar V (Unknown Date.M31)' - The world of Paramar was the scene of several fierce battles during the the Horus Heresy, amongst which the Traitor assault on Station 3 spaceport was perhaps the most bloody. The Forces of Chaos, supported by the Tiger Eyes Traitor Titan Legion, strode into the deserted spaceport expecting little resistance. They were surprised to meet the Titans of the Fire Wasps, Firebrands and Imperial Hunters Titan Legions along with support troops and armour. After a swift and violent battle the Traitors were routed, and eventually expelled from Paramar entirely. *'Defence of Khania (Unknown Date.M41)' - When the Industrial World of Khania is threatened by the advance of the Tyranids, the Imperial Hunters deployed a full demi-Legio under command of Marshal Adrel Syagrius to Khania. Marshal Syagrius was put in charge of the entire Imperial battlegroup and destroyed a first invasion with relative ease, personnally duelling a great Hierophant Bio-Titan. However, having under-estimate his opponent swiftness, Syagrius' ''Warlord''-Titan Augustus Secutor ''is nearly destroyed, but saved by the timely intervention of the ''Gloria Vastator, a Legio Pallidus Mor Warlord. Although it was Syagrius that placed the kill-shot and claimed the throphy, he percieved the intervention of Princeps Senioris Ferantha Krezoc as a personal affront. Believing victory secured, the Imperial Forces were supprised to see a second wave of Tyranids attack Khania. This time, the Tyranids attaked in far larger numbers. Intend on reclaiming his honour, Marshal Syagrius seperated his forces: whilst the demi-legio of the Pallidus Mor and the full strength of the 66th Kataran Spears would defend the capital of Hive Gelon, the Imperial Hunters - true to their name - would hunt down the enemy's Bio-Titans. Only too late did Marshal Syagrius realize that the Hive Mind deliberately kept sacrifizing broods of smaller Carnifexes to draw away the Imperial Hunters from Hive Gelon and thus divide the Imperium's forces. Meanwhile, the true Tyranid assault, including six massive Hierophants, attacked Hive Gelon from underground, felling several of the Legio Pallidus Mors, including their commanding officer, Marshal Eras Barzahn, before the returning Imperial Hunters could turn the tide of battle in favour of the Imperial defenders. *'The Doom of Katara (Unknown Date.M41)' - With the war on Khanian resolved, tension flared between the Imperial Hunters and the Legio Pallidus Mor, Pinceps Senioris Krezoc of the Pallidus Mors deeming that Sygarius's lack of forsight had led to the death of her commanding officer. But Legions would have happily departed Khania seperately if new had not reached them that the homeworld of the Kataran Spears in the neighboring Sevasmos System was being overrun by Chaos Cultists. The urgent message from Katara also told of a great force of enemy Titans having landed near Katara's capital city of Creontiades. As this agression could not be left standing, the Imperial Hunters and the Legio Pallidus Mors boarded their Titan-barques and set course for Katara. With no one to challenge his rank, Marshal Syagrius took the lead of the following operation. Again, Syagrius chose to seperate his forces and first secure Katara's two remaining main cities, deploying the demi-legio of the Pallidus Mor at Deicoon, whilst the Imperial Hunters landed at Therimachus. Thus far, the still unidentified enemy had stayed at Creontiades and the Imperial landing went unopposed. Considering her orders gave her sufficient leeway to do so, Princeps Senioris Krezoc took her demi-legio and the 66th Kataran Spears to the Kazani Bridge, the sole link between Creontiades and the mainland. By then, the enemy was on the move and both Titan-formations met on the Kazani Bridge. The identity of their opponents was quickly confrmed as belonging to the Traitor Titan Legion of the Iron Skulls, with whom the Legio Pallidus Mor had clashed repeatedly in the past. With the bridge acting as a funnel, the Iron Skulls were incapable of bringing their superior numbers - at least a full Titan Legion - to bear. The Battle of the Kazani Bridge concluded with the Legio Pallidus Mor having claimed first blood and destroying the bridge, thus trapping the Iron Skulls and their Chaos Cultist in Creontiades. Yet this would not be the end of this campaign. Through blasphemous sorcery, the Archenemy rebuilt the Kazani Bridge and crossed it onopposed, the Legio Pallidus Mor-detachment being itself trapped in Deicoon by a surprise attack of the Khorne-worshipping cultists that had wormed their way into the lower levels of Deicoon. The main strength of the Iron Skulls marched on Therimachus. With the city itself untenable, Marshal Syagrius chose to meet the enemy in the hills before the last free city of Katara, his Titans acting as a mobile rampart against the Iron Skulls' advance. Shortly before battle was joined, a priority vox-cast reached the Marshal from Deicoon: the attack on the city had been blunted and what remained of the'' Pallidus Mor'' were ready to march. Knowing fully well that these reinforcements would never arrive in time, Marshal Syagrius ordered the Pallidus Mor to avenge their death and retake Therimachus whilst the doomed Imperial Hunters would exact a heavy toll on their enemy. Marshal Syagrius was killed on the very first day of the Battle of Therimachus, but several Titans of his demi-legio survived the three horrible days before the Legio Pallidus Mor had crossed the continent and joined the fray. Though both demi-legions were virtually annihilated, the Iron Skulls were vanquished and their plans for Katara twarted. Yet the dice was cast: through the incompetence of its leaders and the level of corruption discovered, Katara became a Penal World, the Kataran Spears were disbanded and the survivors reduced in a state of forced labours. Notable Titans *''Augustus Secutor'' - The Augustus Secutor was the personal engine of Marshal Adrel Syagrius, the leader of the demi-Legio of the Imperial Hunters sent to defend the world of Khania. To better suit the bellicose temper of its Princeps, the '' venerable ''Warlord was equipped with a powerful Sunfury-pattern Plasma Annihilator. Although extremely powerful, the Sunfury's discharge notoriously put a Titan's reactor under great stress, slowing it down considerably once it has fired. On Khania, the Augustus Secutor was saved in extremis from a Tyranid Hierophant by the Gloria Vastator, an engine of the'' Legio Pallidus Mor''. The Augustus Secutor later fell on Katara during the Battle of Hive Therimachus, where it was destroyed when two ''Banelord'' Titans engaged it in close combat. *''Aurea Sagittaris'' - The Aurea Sagitaris was a Warlord-class Titan of the Imperial Hunters that fought in the defence of of Hive Gelon. It was the sole main-line casualty the Imperial Hunters suffered at the hands of the Tyranids on Khania, a loss for which the Imperial Hunters and especially Marshal Syagrius blamed the incompetence of the Legio Pallidus Mor. *''Eximius Glaudio'' - The great Warlord Eximius Glaudio was part of the demi-legio led by Marshal Adrel Syagrius. The Eximius Glaudio was one of three Titans equipped with the feared Sunfury-patter Plasma Annihilator which proved extremely powerful against the Tyranids. Sadly, the Eximius Glaudio was lost on Katara, destroyed by the Traitors of the Iron Skulls. *''Magnificum Virum'' - A towering Warlord-class of the Imperial Hunters, the Magnificum Virum ''was lost in combat against the Iron Skulls at the Battle of Hive Therimachus. *Primum Victor'' - The Primum Victor, a Warlord-class Titan was the personal mount of Princeps Messina Lukretus, close friend to Marshal Adrel Syagrius under whom she served during the campaigns on Khania and Katara. The Primum Victor ''was the third Warlord equipped with a Sunfury-pattern Plasma Annihilator, the combined barrage of the ''Primum Victor, Augustus Secutor and Eximius Glaudio capable of clearing a whole plain of enemy presence. Like the other Warlords of demi-legio Syagrius, the'' Primus Victor'' was destroyed by the corrupted engines of the Iron Skulls during the Battle of Hive Therimachus. *''Aurea Exterminatore'' - A ''Reaver''-class Battle Titan of the Imperial Hunters that was part of Marshal Syragius' forces on Khania and Katara. Reported as destroyed in the Battle of Hive Therimachus. *''Nobilis Arma'' - The Nobilis Arma was a Reaver-class Battle Titan of the Imperial Hunters. During the war on Khania against the Tyranids, the Nobilis Arma was part of Battle Maniple Aurea Sagittaris, but with the loss of its lead engine, the Nobilis Arma was temporary reassigned to serve alongide the Legio Pallidus Mors on Katara. During the march on the Kazani Bridge, Nobilis Arma reported the Legio Pallidus Mor 's unsanctionned mouvement against the enemy but was powerless to stop it. As for the Legio Pallidus Mor Titans, the Nobilis Arma was captured by the Chaos Cultists at Deicoon but was able to fight its way free once its crew had been rescued. The Nobilis Arma survived the punishing Klivanos Crossing and even the terrible Battle of Hive Therimachus, which left her at the uncontested leader of what remained of demi-legio Syagrius. *''Canis Imperio'' - A ''Warhound''-class Scout Titan of the Imperial Hunters which was part of demi-legio Syagrius, the Canis Imperio fought valiantly on Khania and was also part of the battlegroup deployed to Katara. As the'' Legio Pallidus Mors'' had suffered greatly on Khania, the Canis Imperio was attached to that Legio before the campaign on Katara. It survived both the heavy fighting at Deicoon and the horrific march through the burning Promethium fields of the Klivanos Plains before being destroyed in the great Battle of Hive Therimachus. *''Nobilis Canem'' - The Nobilis Canem was a Warhound assigned to demi-legio Syagrius. This Titan has been destroyed on Katara. *''Sacra Canis'' - Like the Canis Imperio, the Sacra Canis was a Warhound-class Scout Titan that was temporary assigned to the severely depleted Legio Pallidus Mor demi-legio under command of Princeps Senioris Krezoc. The Sacra Canis is one of the few survivors of the terrible Battle of Hive Therimachus. *''Triumphum Canes'' - The Triumphum Canes was a Warhound which was part of the Augustus Secutor 's Maniple. At the great Battle of Hive Therimachus, Triumphum Canes helped Augustus Secutor in defeating an enemy ''Banelord''-class Chaos Titan, but stayed too close to it. The stricken Banelord ''was able to grab it with his Combat Claw and ripped off its head before tossing ''Triumphum Canes' body around like a ragdoll. Notable Personnel *Arel Syagrius - A scion of the noble Syagrius-family whose members have served within the Imperial Hunters for millennia, Marshal Arel Syagrius was the commanding officer of the Imperium's forces on Khania and Katara. Arel Syagrius was one of the youngest Princeps to attain the rank of Marshal in the history of the Imperial Hunters. His features have always been described as aquiline, which is no surprise considering the small fortune he invested in rejuvenating treatments which kept him in prime condition. He chose to bear a single scar as a reminder of his many battlefield wounds, a thin white line on his forheads he wor with as much pride as the greates medal. Arel Syagrius was the very model of an Imperial Hunters' Princeps: fair, noble, courageous and even reckless in battle. As an aristocrat himself, he was ill at ease when someone dared to question his decisions, a fact that led to great tensions between his own demi-legio and that of the Pallidus Mors he was supposed to cooperate with. Marshal Syagrius typically led from the front, frequently challenging enemy opponents into duels where his personal machine, the Warlord Titan Augustus Secutor could blast at the enemy at point-blank range with its Sunfury-pattern Plasma Annihilator. Despite the supreme confidence he had in his own skills as a Princeps and a commander, during his last days Marshal Arel Syagrius was plagued with self-doubts. The enemy he was fighting against had outmaneuvered him at every turn, making him regret to not have listen to his allies advice for caution. Arel Syagrius died on Katara during the great Battle of Hive Therimachus, alongside most of the demi-legio he had led in a suicidal charge against the Iron Skulls. Legion Appearance Legion Colours The colours of the Imperial Hunters are pale mottled green, white and red Legion Badge The Legion badge of the Imperial Hunters is a black circle located above a large black triangle pointing downwards, with further three smaller black triangles arranged in a halo around the circle, pointing outwards. Sources *''White Dwarf'' 109 (UK), "Adeptus Titanicus", pp. 14-15, *''White Dwarf'' 111 (UK), "'Eavy Metal", pp. 77-78 *''Warlord - Fury of the God-Machine'' (Novel) by David Annendale Gallery Imperial Hunters Banner.jpg|Imperial Hunters Titan Back Banner Imperial Hunters_Kill Banner.jpg|Imperial Hunters Kill Banner ES:Cazadores Imperiales Category:Imperium Category:I Category:Collegia Titanica Category:Adeptus Mechanicus Category:Walkers Category:Imperial Walkers